Rhode Island WWII Navy Nurse Turns 105

EAST PROVIDENCE, RI — A World War II Navy nurse turned 105 years old.

Born in Rhode Island, Lillian “Chris” NautaLillian “Chris” Nauta was 18-years-old when World War II began, according to a media release from Sen. Jack Reed's office.

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"Today, Senator Reed dropped by Anchor Bay at East Providence to salute Ms. Lillian 'Chris; Nauta, one of the few female members of America’s nearly depleted corps of World War II nurses," the release said.

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Nauta was stationed at a Navy hospital facility in Massachusetts, where she helped care for service members who were injured and returning home from World War II, according to the release.

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Reed "urged Congress to pass a bipartisan bill to collectively award Ms. Nauta and her fellow World War II U.S. Army and Navy nurses a Congressional Gold Medal – one of our nation's highest honors," the release said.

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"The medal would be struck to honor women veterans who proudly put on the uniform to care for our sick and wounded service members on the front lines, those stationed on ships, bases, and hospitals at home and abroad, and especially for those nurses who were killed in action and never made it home," according to the release.

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